Skip to main content

Now is a good time to grab a free copy of Grand Theft Auto V

The offer of a free PC download of classic action-adventure game Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) crashed Epic Games’ online store on Thursday, May 14.

Down for a good chunk of the day, though apparently up and running the last time we looked, the site was overwhelmed by eager gamers keen to get a free copy of Rockstar Games’ popular offering that has already sold more than 100 million copies globally in its seven-year lifespan.

Related Videos

Epic posted a tweet acknowledging the issue, saying it was currently experiencing high traffic on its store, adding, “We are aware that users may be encountering slow loading times, 500 errors, or launcher crashing at this time and we are actively working to scale. We’ll provide an update as soon as we can.”

Several hours later, it followed up with another tweet saying it was still working to resolve the problem. At the time of writing, it appears that the store and launcher are operational again, though Epic’s status page describes the former as having “degraded performance.”

Epic announced the free offer on Wednesday, giving PC gamers until May 21 to download GTA V via the company’s games-launcher app. But when the offer went live a day later, its servers clearly weren’t ready for the sudden influx of download requests, with many gamers left frustrated as they repeatedly hit the refresh button.

Perhaps the company should’ve realized just how popular its free offer would be with folks. After all, last year the free Diamond Casino & Resort update for GTA Online delivered the biggest player numbers for GTA Online for a single day, and also for a single week, since the online component of GTA V launched in October 2013.

The good news is that the link for the free download of GTA V now appears to be working, so if you’re hoping to nab a free copy, best give it a go now. 

Editors' Recommendations

Happy birthday, Steam Deck: console and PC gamers debate its first year
Factorio running on a Steam Deck.

As the Steam Deck’s one-year anniversary approached, I found myself itching to write a reflection on my past 12 months with it. Though I love the gaming device and use it as much as my Nintendo Switch, I initially found my feelings skewing more negative than I expected. Part of that may have been a little reactionary, as I’ve developed a pet peeve in the past year: hearing people who work in games tout it as a “life-changing” device. Sure, it’s life-changing for anyone whose job hinges on having easy access to games, but some of the Steam Deck’s more frustrating quirks make it harder to recommend to a casual player.

My perspective changed when I chatted with Jacob Roach. Digital Trends’ Computing senior staff  writer. As a PC gamer, his read on the system was entirely different from mine, focusing on game-changing features that I haven’t gotten much use out of. What became clear from that conversation is that the Steam Deck is a very different device depending on whether you’re coming at it from a PC or console background.

Read more
Microsoft pledges to bring Xbox PC games to Nvidia GeForce Now
geforce-now-og-no-text-1200x630

Microsoft has announced a 10-year partnership with Nvidia aimed at bringing Xbox PC games to its cloud gaming service competitor Nvidia GeForce Now as part of its ongoing efforts to win over companies skeptical of its potebtial Activision Blizzard acquisition.
This means that players can use Nvidia GeForce Now to play the Steam, Epic Games Store, or Windows versions of titles like Halo Infinite, Redfall, and eventually, Call of Duty through the cloud on GeForce Now. Third-party publishers with games on the Windows Store can also now grant streaming rights to Nvidia. This announcement came during a European Commission hearing where Microsoft tried to convince regulators that its impending acquisition should bne allowed.
Microsoft has been under a lot of regulatory scrutiny even since it announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard in January 2022. It's trying to win over industry peers with deals like this one with Nvidia. This week, the Communications Workers of America voiced its approval of the deal, and Microsoft has signed a binding agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms as well. Previously, Nvidia had raised concerns about Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition, but the press release announcing this agreement states that the deal "resolves Nvidia's concerns," and that Nvidia now gives "full support for regulatory approval of the acquisition." 
Regulatory bodies in the U.S., U.K., and Europe are worried that Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard will hurt the game industry and sabotage Microsoft's competitors in both console and cloud gaming. Nvidia GeForce Now is seen as one of the biggest competitors to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's cloud service offerings, which makes it surprising that it reached an agreement with Nvidia. However, this deal also demonstrates how Microsoft is willing to make concessions so that its acquisition of Activision Blizzard is approved.

Read more
The best GTA 5 mods
Iron man flying in the sunset.

Since the release of Grand Theft Auto 5, players have been arguing over which version of the game is better. Regardless of which side of the debate you’re on, most people can agree that the PC version comes with a few advantages such as the various number of mods you can add to the game.

For those looking to upgrade their gameplay, we’ve created a list of the best GTA 5 mods you won’t want to play without.
Script Hook V and Native Trainer

Read more